We recommend that the young person be removed from playfor evaluation by a healthcare provider that has experience and trainingin the area of concussion and concussion management.And so this is a change for individuals who may have believedthat a concussion doesn't occur unless there's a loss of consciousness. And we know scientifically that concussions can occur without a loss of consciousness. So that's one of the new learnings for many of the coaches that do take a look at our toolkits and implement them at their schools.We have done a number of evaluations with coaching groups, and that was a new finding for many of them.In addition to our toolkits, we now offer professional educationfor coaches and trainers free of charge on our website.

Youth athletes need to be removed from play and evaluated by a TBI specialist after a hit to the head.

Marlena M. Wald, MPH, MLS is an epidemiologist in the Division of Injury Response in the National Center for Injury Control and Prevention (NCIPC). Her areas of research include acute care, traumatic brain injury, and substance issues related to both of these topics.

This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which is dedicated to ensuring that impacted post-9/11 veterans, service members, and their families are thriving long after they return home.